❓ Mr. Carey questions the Minister for Road Safety regarding support for reduced speed limits and the Road Safety Commission's work, prompting a response highlighting support for a City of Vincent trial and criticism of the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 845Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD SAFETY —
REDUCED SPEED LIMIT TRIAL
845. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Minister for Road Safety:
I refer to the state government's
ongoing commitment to road safety and the work the independent Road Safety
Commission is developing alongside the City of Vincent in trialling reduced speed
limits across some of the local suburban roads in my electorate.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone who does not accept
proven research that lower speeds reduce the risk of serious injuries to
pedestrians and road users?
(2) Is the
minister aware of anyone who does not support the work of the Road Safety
Commission in its efforts to make our roads safer?
REDUCED SPEED LIMIT TRIAL
845. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Minister for Road Safety:
I refer to the state government's
ongoing commitment to road safety and the work the independent Road Safety
Commission is developing alongside the City of Vincent in trialling reduced speed
limits across some of the local suburban roads in my electorate.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone who does not accept
proven research that lower speeds reduce the risk of serious injuries to
pedestrians and road users?
(2) Is the
minister aware of anyone who does not support the work of the Road Safety
Commission in its efforts to make our roads safer?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Perth for
that question.
(1)–(2) As
members will be aware, the City of Vincent is proposing to trial a 40-kilometre-an-hour
speed limit in part of its area, as progressive councils and governments right
around the world are trialling lower speed limits in residential areas. The 40-kay
proposed trial zone is a very small area of the City of Vincent. Some time ago,
I was at a community safety forum organised in Mt Hawthorn by the member for
Perth and I raised the issue there. I was very pleasantly surprised at the
amount of support there was for a 40-kilometre-an-hour speed limit on
residential streets. As part of the trial, the arterial roads like Beaufort
Street, William Street, Fitzgerald Street and Charles Street will remain posted
at 60 kilometres an hour for people to travel on. I note that there were people
at the meeting who asked whether Vincent Street could have a lower speed limit
across from Hyde Park. I think the proposal by the City of Vincent is a very
good one. It is a two-year trial of a 40-kay limit. It is certainly supported
by evidence. The member for Perth asked whether I am aware of anyone who does
not support the trial or anyone who does not support the Road Safety
Commission. Sadly, I think that person is the member for Hillarys. He went on
radio last Tuesday and what did he say? He said —
All it's going to do is add
more confusion on our inner city streets. It's going to confuse people
beyond belief �and I haven't personally had anyone contact me —
That is, as the member for Hillarys!
He continued —
and tell me that speeding in the City
of Vincent is a problem.
He said there will be confusion on
inner-city streets. How does the member get around the CBD of Perth? Does he
know what the speed limit is on St Georges Terrace or Wellington Street? It is
40 kilometres an hour. In 2010, the former government put a 40-kilometre-an-hour
limit within the CBD.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, you don't have to have a statement on every question!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Has it led
to mass confusion? Are there people who do not know what the speed limit is? I do
not think so. There is no mass confusion, but if it happens in this area of
Vincent, the member for Hillarys said it is going to be so confusing for
people. He then went on to say something astounding. I do not think the Leader
of the Opposition can keep a road safety spokesperson who says such ignorant
things as this. He says —
Ms S.E. Winton : Run him over!
Withdrawal of Remark
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr
Speaker —
The SPEAKER : Member for Wanneroo, do you withdraw?
Ms S.E. WINTON : I withdraw.
The SPEAKER : I call you to order for the first time.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member for Hillarys said on
radio last week —
We reduced the general speed limit
from 60 to 50 a few years ago. There's no evidence available to show that
that's actually assisted or done anything to improve road safety�
He said there is no evidence available. There are myriad
studies Australia-wide that demonstrate that it is the case. The member is then
asked why we are doing it if there is no evidence. The member for Hillarys then
says —
You ask why, Oliver. The only
reason I can think of is that we know there's an army of bureaucrats
out there looking for something to do, and when they run out of things to do,
they come up with these supposedly bright new ideas that might make our lives
more confusing and don't actually help� clearly don't help to
improve road� to improve road safety.
That is about the craziest thing I have ever heard a road
safety spokesperson say—that lowering speeds does not reduce the number
of serious crashes.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Hillarys, I call you to order
for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : We led the way in Western Australia
when the Gallop government introduced the 50-kilometre-an-hour default in
December 2001, followed closely by New South Wales in January 2002 and then
other jurisdictions followed. If members look at the Monash
University Accident Research reports on every jurisdiction, the evidence
is that in the first 24 months, there was a 21 per cent reduction for all
casualty crashes; a 20 per cent net reduction for all crashes; a 51 per cent
net reduction for pedestrian crashes; and a 19 per cent and 18 per cent net
reduction for crashes involving young and older drivers respectively. The
member for Hillarys said that there is no epidemic or huge number of
pedestrians and cyclists being killed in the City of Vincent, so why would we
do it? I say, let us not wait. Let us provide that residential amenity —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : I'll ban you in a minute!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member for Hillarys must be the
only person I have ever met who does not understand that slowing down saves
lives and prevents crashes.
The SPEAKER : Come on, minister.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : There are myriad studies Australia-wide
and how the Leader of the Opposition can sit there and have a road safety
spokesman who says lowering a speed limit does not save live or prevent
crashes, I do not know.
The SPEAKER : Minister, get to the point.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member has bagged out the
office. He has bagged out the Road Safety Commission. He says there is no
evidence about lowering speed limits and he gave a specific example of changing
it from 60 kilometres an hour to 50 kilometres an hour not saving lives or
doing anything. There is a lot of evidence, member. He has misled the public of
Western Australia and he is made some embarrassing comments for which he should
apologise. I suggest the Leader of the Opposition give him a little homework.
Try googling ''50 kays and improvements to road safety''.
that question.
(1)–(2) As
members will be aware, the City of Vincent is proposing to trial a 40-kilometre-an-hour
speed limit in part of its area, as progressive councils and governments right
around the world are trialling lower speed limits in residential areas. The 40-kay
proposed trial zone is a very small area of the City of Vincent. Some time ago,
I was at a community safety forum organised in Mt Hawthorn by the member for
Perth and I raised the issue there. I was very pleasantly surprised at the
amount of support there was for a 40-kilometre-an-hour speed limit on
residential streets. As part of the trial, the arterial roads like Beaufort
Street, William Street, Fitzgerald Street and Charles Street will remain posted
at 60 kilometres an hour for people to travel on. I note that there were people
at the meeting who asked whether Vincent Street could have a lower speed limit
across from Hyde Park. I think the proposal by the City of Vincent is a very
good one. It is a two-year trial of a 40-kay limit. It is certainly supported
by evidence. The member for Perth asked whether I am aware of anyone who does
not support the trial or anyone who does not support the Road Safety
Commission. Sadly, I think that person is the member for Hillarys. He went on
radio last Tuesday and what did he say? He said —
All it's going to do is add
more confusion on our inner city streets. It's going to confuse people
beyond belief �and I haven't personally had anyone contact me —
That is, as the member for Hillarys!
He continued —
and tell me that speeding in the City
of Vincent is a problem.
He said there will be confusion on
inner-city streets. How does the member get around the CBD of Perth? Does he
know what the speed limit is on St Georges Terrace or Wellington Street? It is
40 kilometres an hour. In 2010, the former government put a 40-kilometre-an-hour
limit within the CBD.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, you don't have to have a statement on every question!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Has it led
to mass confusion? Are there people who do not know what the speed limit is? I do
not think so. There is no mass confusion, but if it happens in this area of
Vincent, the member for Hillarys said it is going to be so confusing for
people. He then went on to say something astounding. I do not think the Leader
of the Opposition can keep a road safety spokesperson who says such ignorant
things as this. He says —
Ms S.E. Winton : Run him over!
Withdrawal of Remark
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr
Speaker —
The SPEAKER : Member for Wanneroo, do you withdraw?
Ms S.E. WINTON : I withdraw.
The SPEAKER : I call you to order for the first time.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member for Hillarys said on
radio last week —
We reduced the general speed limit
from 60 to 50 a few years ago. There's no evidence available to show that
that's actually assisted or done anything to improve road safety�
He said there is no evidence available. There are myriad
studies Australia-wide that demonstrate that it is the case. The member is then
asked why we are doing it if there is no evidence. The member for Hillarys then
says —
You ask why, Oliver. The only
reason I can think of is that we know there's an army of bureaucrats
out there looking for something to do, and when they run out of things to do,
they come up with these supposedly bright new ideas that might make our lives
more confusing and don't actually help� clearly don't help to
improve road� to improve road safety.
That is about the craziest thing I have ever heard a road
safety spokesperson say—that lowering speeds does not reduce the number
of serious crashes.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Hillarys, I call you to order
for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : We led the way in Western Australia
when the Gallop government introduced the 50-kilometre-an-hour default in
December 2001, followed closely by New South Wales in January 2002 and then
other jurisdictions followed. If members look at the Monash
University Accident Research reports on every jurisdiction, the evidence
is that in the first 24 months, there was a 21 per cent reduction for all
casualty crashes; a 20 per cent net reduction for all crashes; a 51 per cent
net reduction for pedestrian crashes; and a 19 per cent and 18 per cent net
reduction for crashes involving young and older drivers respectively. The
member for Hillarys said that there is no epidemic or huge number of
pedestrians and cyclists being killed in the City of Vincent, so why would we
do it? I say, let us not wait. Let us provide that residential amenity —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : I'll ban you in a minute!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member for Hillarys must be the
only person I have ever met who does not understand that slowing down saves
lives and prevents crashes.
The SPEAKER : Come on, minister.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : There are myriad studies Australia-wide
and how the Leader of the Opposition can sit there and have a road safety
spokesman who says lowering a speed limit does not save live or prevent
crashes, I do not know.
The SPEAKER : Minister, get to the point.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member has bagged out the
office. He has bagged out the Road Safety Commission. He says there is no
evidence about lowering speed limits and he gave a specific example of changing
it from 60 kilometres an hour to 50 kilometres an hour not saving lives or
doing anything. There is a lot of evidence, member. He has misled the public of
Western Australia and he is made some embarrassing comments for which he should
apologise. I suggest the Leader of the Opposition give him a little homework.
Try googling ''50 kays and improvements to road safety''.
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